mo4ch:>Moscow braces for new thousands-strong protests over city council election | Mo4ch News

The Russian opposition has received a permit for a rally in Moscow that may attract thousands of people. Fueled by celebrity support, the protest follows two unsanctioned gatherings that resulted in over 2,300 arrests.Activists applied for and were granted a permit for the rally on August 10, which will take place on Sakharov Avenue, just northwest of the city center. They are protesting on behalf of some 50 disqualified independent candidates who have been precluded from standing in city council elections. Although a cold and rainy morning is forecast, the clouds should clear up by 2pm when the rally is supposed to start.The opposition already arranged a sanctioned protest back on July 20, but then decided not to wait for the authorities to grant another authorization. They staged two unsanctioned demonstrations on July 27 and August 3, but those rallies became disorderly when protesters tried to block the streets of downtown Moscow.Consequently, over 2,300 were detained by police du…